One year ago today, Spurs guard Roger Mason Jr. lined up in the corner at Phoenix's US Airways Center, and let fly with one of the most significant shots of his still-fledgling career.

His buzzer-beating 3-pointer not only gave the Spurs' a miracle victory over the Suns. It also supplied him with a small, personal victory

"At that time with my family, there were a lot of things going on," Mason said, declining to delve into specifics. "So it was a nice Christmas gift. That was a big moment for me for a lot of reasons."

It was one of four game-winners for Mason last season, a stretch of crunch-time excellence that earned him the moniker "Big Shot Rog."

It was a nice moment for the Spurs, too. Christmas 2008 wasn't the last time they defeated a team better than .500. It just feels that way.

One year after Mason's Christmas Day miracle, the Spurs will board a charter flight for Milwaukee, kicking off a two-game road trip that begins Saturday. They are the definition of "just OK," 15-11 after Wednesday's disheartening home loss to severely shorthanded Portland.

Mason, meanwhile, is still struggling to find his place in a new world order.

A starter for 71 games last season, Mason had hoped to build on his first full campaign as an NBA regular, during which he averaged 11.8 points.

Relegated to bench duty instead, Mason's playing time has been spotty, his role unpredictable. He is averaging about 18 minutes per game, down from around 30 last season. His scoring average has dropped to 6.4 points.

"Coming into the season, the big thing for me was last year was last year," said Mason, 29. "I had some success, I hit some big shots. I came into the year with some really high expectations.

"Just like life, it didn't go quite the way I planned. Yet."

Burdened by the weight of his own sky-high expectations, Mason opened the season in a 15-for-54 funk. He appeared to find a groove in late November, producing four consecutive double-digit outings, only to strain a hamstring Nov. 27 at Houston. He didn't return to the regular rotation until a Dec. 15 win at the L.A. Clippers.

All this comes against the backdrop of one of the most important seasons of Mason's basketball life. He is in the final season of the two-year contract he signed with the Spurs in the summer of 2008.

"Of course, I'm aware of the (contract) situation, but I'm a team player," Mason said. "If you win, it takes care of the rest."

"But," he added, "everyone's human, and I know this is a huge year for me."

With Matt Bonner and Michael Finley sidelined, and with Manu Ginobili not exactly playing like Sixth Man of the Year material, the Spurs have more frequently turned to Mason to provide scoring punch off the bench.

Over the past six games, he has been one of the most consistent Spurs reserves, averaging 10.5 points and hitting 49 percent from the field.